"I Only Love Momma"

Early in our childhood development we are often unable to self identify with more than one pole.

I experienced this with my own son when he was three. I would look him in the eye and say, “I love you so much buddy,” and he would respond, “I ONLY love momma. I don’t love you. I just love momma.” After putting my heart back together, I would gently respond, “You can love us both,” and he would respond, “I can only love momma.” This went on for nine months, but eventually a couple neurons somewhere in his cute little head fused together to permit him to say I love you to both of us.

Carl Jung explains that this phenomenon can continue through adulthood, causing us to relate primarily in either/or categories.

I’m convinced our adult civilization is regressing emotionally.

We slide back to childhood when we particularly dislike something about a people group (progressives or conservatives) and deem it necessary to find ways to accumulate a burning mound of facts about why we should hate “them.” Polarization is not a result of intellectual enlightenment or informed thinking; it is a result of emotional regression.

To sign up for Jesus and join his movement is to take on the mature work of integrating differing poles rather than regressing into either/or categories.

Source: Dan White  -  "When Clinton and Bush go to church … together", V3 Church Planting Movement, Jan 2017, http://thev3movement.org/2017/01/when-clinton-and-bush-go-to-church/